The carnage kept coming in Round 18 with Jack Ziebell, Seamus Mitchell and Ryan Maric all dropping out for the Sunday teams, while Tom Green was ruled out for GWS with a hamstring injury.
SUNDAY TEAMS
Key ins: Wardlaw, Sicily, Shuey, Hurn
Key outs: Ziebell, Greenwood, S.Mitchell (mng), Maric
Key holds: Sheezel, C.Harvey, Ford, Day, Chesser, E.Hewett, Long, J.Williams, Banks
Possible subs: Ziebell, S.Ryan
Confirmed subs: Gaff, Grainger-Barras
The carnage kept coming in Round 18 with Jack Ziebell, Seamus Mitchell and Ryan Maric all dropping out for the Sunday teams.
UPDATES
GWS coach Adam Kingsley revealed on Friday morning that Tom Green (AF $863k SC $549k MID) will miss this weekend’s game against Adelaide with a “slight hamstring injury”.
Kingsley said: “We’re going to be without Tom Green this week unfortunately. Scans back this morning that he’s got a slight hamstring. We’re going to miss him. It happened yesterday (Thursday) morning, he was just still a little bit uncomfortable with it, we decided to scan him and it came back no good.”
The Giants coach also praised the form of Stephen Coniglio. He said: “He’s been really strong across the course of the year, not only the last month. Last week’s game with Josh Kelly being tagged, Tom Green not as his usual high level, Cogs really stepped up and dragged us across the line. I’ve been really pleased for him. He’s really fit. He’s understanding exactly what we want out of him and he attacks it. He’s probably been more known as an offensive threat, but it’s his stuff on defence that I really value the most.”
On the Josh Kelly tag, Kingsley said: “Josh and I sat down and spoke about the options that he has, if and when he does get tagged next, so he’s armed with a few more tools to hopefully help his influence on the game be greater than it was against Hawthorn. We probably as a team didn’t help josh enough also.”
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell discussed James Sicily (AF $934k SC $649k DEF) who is due to return from a three-game suspension, amid some suggestions he has a niggling injury. He said: “I called him yesterday just to chat about a few things about the game, he was very excited to be back out there, ready to play.”
Mitchell also discussed the ongoing tagging role of Finn Maginness, who shut down Josh Kelly last week, indicating he’s unlikely to run with any of North’s onballers like Luke Davies-Uniacke. He said: “It’s a little bit more difficult this week. They had a winger who was such an important player. It’s a little bit more challenging this week. Finn will certainly play but not sure exactly what his role will look like. But we prefer him being able to play on the outside. Anytime he plays on the inside, it obviously limits some of our other ball movers. If we can find a role for him, he’ll be able to execute it, even if it’s just an offensive role.”
North Melbourne interim coach Brett Ratten was asked about replacing Griffin Logue, quickly bringing up last week’s sub Jack Ziebell (AF $752k SC $446k D/F) among their eight-man extended bench.
He said: “The replacements, we’ve got Ziebell, and (Jackson) Archer in the squad as well, whether we play one of them or both of them, that’ll be the decision.”
Ratten confirmed George Wardlaw “will play for sure” after illness last week, while he clarified Cameron Zurhaar missed Friday due to a bruised heel but will play.
He also downplayed any concerns about Luke Davies-Uniacke who reportedly left training early. Ratten said: “I didn’t see him leave the track early so I think he’ll be fine. I haven’t heard anything and I’ve spoken to the medicos so there’s no concerns there.”
Port coach Ken Hinkley explained the reason behind Jason Horne-Francis’ absence this round. He said: “His back has been causing a little bit of grief over the past three or four weeks. It has reached the point where we need to give him a rest. If it is one or two, that is what it will be.”
On Scott Lycett, who has been named to return from a knee issue, Hinkley said: “Scott got through training (on Thursday) so we are optimistic he will take his place in the team.”
Hinkley also spoke about the omission of Quinton Narkle. He said: “We have had really good form in our SANFL so Xavier Duursma and Jase Burgoyne and Jackson Mead have been playing well there. We have great optimism around what they bring – and what they could do. Quinton has been okay and he has played a role. But he still has lots to learn about the way we want to play. We are giving opportunity to those who deserve it.”
West Coast coach Adam Simpson confirmed Andrew Gaff will be their sub this weekend. He also said Luke Shuey and Shannon Hurn were “in the mix” to play, declining to confirm their returns after soreness.
With Shuey due to return, Simpson was asked if that may impact Elijah Hewett’s midfield role, but said: “At CBAs, it shouldn’t affect him.”
